The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Nigeria, Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor on Tuesday, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with the key actors in the on-going Biafra agitation.
DAILY POST recalls that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has in the recent time being at the fore-front of the renewed campaign for a Biafra republic.
However, a recent military operation in the South-East, which kicked off in Kanu’s home State of Biafra, appears to have removed him from the stage for several days now.
President Muhammadu Buhari has also in his Independence Anniversary broadcast, issued fresh warning to the agitators.
However, Okoroafor said taking a hard stance and dictatorial stance against agitators and those clamouring for restructuring of the country would not do the country any good.
He spoke yesterday at the National Secretariat of the Church in Enugu, where he unveiled activities for the National Convention of the Church, Peniel 2017, tagged “The Church of the Acts of the Apostles.”
Okoroafor, who spoke for the first time after he was elected the President of the Central Africa Assemblies of God Alliance, CAAGA, said about 100,000 worshipers were being expected during the convention scheduled for November 13-17, 2017 at the Evangel Camp, Okpoto, Ebonyi State.
On the on-going Biafra agitation, the Church leader said, “democracy is different from dictatorship. It is government for the people and by the people, so the people would always have their say.
“It is also good that the government should get some of the key agitators on negotiation table; something must have led to the agitation. When you sit at the table you will ask critical questions like: why are you agitating? Is there something we can do? Are there something we can resolve?
“So, my stand is that these things can be handled in a table because we are in democracy. I’m counselling government on best practices in the world.
“We should look at developed countries; find out what they did when they were confronted with same kind of situation. Only fools learn from experience, wise ones learn from what happened to others.”
The GS maintained that but for “selfish loafers”, Nigeria was blessed with abundant natural and human resources, stressing “with good people at the helm of affairs and with dialogue, we will have a better nation.”
Okororafor, however, called on Churches to stay away from partisan politics to avoid causing disaffection among their members.
“The Assemblies of God Church cannot be partisan. Churches should not be partisan but our members who feel they have interest in politics are free to do so.
“But as a Church leader, I cannot mount the pulpit and tell our members to vote for so and so party. If I do so, I will be hurting the sensibilities of other members who belonged to other political parties.
“We have in the past produced politicians; we also have some of our members currently serving in one political position or the other. So, we encourage members who have political ambition to go ahead,”, he stated.
He, however, counselled Churches to play mentorship roles, noting that “the war against corruption would be easily won if the righteous are in power.”
“When the people who are for God are there, we won’t be talking about corruption. Through the word of God, criminals can repent, looters will repent, they can even return what they looted,”, he added.
He called on Christians to be part of the convention irrespective of their denominations, assuring that “we have assembled great speakers from both within and outside the Church. By the grace of God, we are going to bring real gospel, which is very scarce these days. Real gospel changes life.”
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